Michael Ludwig

Instrumentalists — Violin

Manager: Mark Z. Alpert
Management Territory: Worldwide

"Michael's technique is of the effortless, envy-provoking variety. He exhibits sweet tone...displays easy grace and poise...Ludwig admirably conveyed the composer's Lisztian esthetic: 'clear in sense, brilliant in expression, and grand in style.'" —The Strad

"Persuasive playing, silky tone, sensitivity to colour and flair for 'golden-age' style." —BBC Music Magazine

"Stylistically well-focused and marked by lyricism and wit." —Chicago Sun-Times

About

Hailed by Strad Magazine for his “effortless, envy-provoking technique… sweet tone, brilliant expression, and grand style”, Michael Ludwig enjoys a multi-faceted career as a soloist, recording artist, and chamber musician. A highly sought-after soloist, he has performed on four continents, including appearances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Pops, KBS Symphony in Seoul, Korea, Beijing Symphony, and the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, collaborating with such conductors as JoAnn Falletta, Sir Georg Solti, and John Williams among others. . . . He has recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Lithuanian National Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, and Virginia Symphony.

Highlights of 2011 include performances in Germany, Spain, Poland, China, Korea, and Israel, as well as numerous appearances throughout the United States. Composer Daron Hagen has written a new violin concerto, American Songbook, for Michael Ludwig, which Ludwig premiered with the Buffalo Philharmonic in May 2011. According to Hagen, “Michael is a superb, world-class musician and the perfect person to premiere this concerto.” This season marks the release of Ludwig's live recording of the Beethoven Violin Concerto and Dvorak Romance with the Virginia Symphony, as well as a NAXOS recording of the Josef Suk Fantasy with the Buffalo Philharmonic. In August of 2011, Ludwig recorded Kenneth Fuchs' American Rhapsody with the London Symphony Orchestra in the famed Abbey Road Studios.

Ludwig's discography has drawn critical acclaim from both sides of the Atlantic. Fanfare magazine writes: "His phrasing is so sensitive--it could serve as an object lesson to every budding violinist." And BBC Music Magazine praises his "persuasive playing, silky tone, sensitivity to colour and flair for 'golden-age' style." His recording of the rarely performed Dohnanyi Violin Concertos with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra has received extraordinary reviews worldwide, and has revived interest in these neglected romantic works. Ludwig's recording of the Corigliano Red Violin Concerto with JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic is "hot, sharp, and close to the edge" writes critic Norman Lebrecht. This Grammy-nominated recording hit the Billboard Top 100 within the first week of its release. Other recordings include the Beethoven Triple Concerto with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra and the Bruch Scottish Fantasy with the Virginia Symphony.

As a chamber musician, he has shared the stage with numerous acclaimed artists, such as Christoph Eschenbach, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Yefim Bronfman, Sarah Chang, and Jean-Yves Thibaudet. His recording of the world premiere of Marcel Tyberg's Piano Trio in F Major was released by NAXOS in August 2010. His chamber music performances include appearances at the Prague Spring Music Festival, New Hampshire Music Festival, and a benefit appearance for the Terezin Music Foundation at Symphony Hall in Boston.

Michael Ludwig has been featured numerous times on Performance Today, a program that reaches approximately 1.2 million listeners on 230 radio stations nationwide. Ludwig’s media credits include live broadcasts at WRTI (Philadelphia) and WAMC (Albany, NY), as well as an appearance on the program “From the Top.” He has been featured on Bulgarian National Radio, Balkan Bulgarian Television, and the Korean Broadcasting System.

In addition to his active performance and recording schedule, Ludwig provides master classes around the world. He has held faculty positions at Rowan University and the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, as well as the School of Orchestral Studies in Saratoga Springs, NY and the National Youth Orchestra Festival. He has also held the appointment of Sterne Virtuoso Artist-in-Residence at Skidmore College. Ludwig has given master classes and coachings with the New World Symphony. He has served as a member of the board of directors of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, and is currently a member of the Artistic Advisory Board for Access to Art, Inc.

Ludwig performs on a rare violin made in the late 1700’s by the Cremonese master Lorenzo Storioni and a Dominique Peccatte bow. His violin has been lauded in a Fanfare review by Jerry Dubins as “one of the most gorgeous instruments I’ve ever heard.”

Michael Ludwig studied violin with his father, Irving Ludwig, a violinist in the Philadelphia Orchestra, as well as Raphael Bronstein and Josef Gingold. He attended the Curtis Institute of Music and the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and Indiana University.

For further information, please visit: www.MichaelLudwig.com.